Why Shiite Leader, El-Zakzaky Agreed To Appear Before The Media – Falana Opens Up

Popular Nigerian lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has spoken out about why the detained leader of the Shiite sect, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky agreed to appear before the media.

According to a report by Vanguard, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, a famous Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, said, yesterday, that leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, agreed to speak to the press under the assumption that his release was imminent.

Falana’s statement came on a day the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, said it was not placated by the appearance of its detained leader before select journalists in Abuja on Saturday, adding that anything short of his total freedom, in line with the ruling of the court, was unacceptable to them. El-Zakzaky briefly addressed journalists on Saturday to disprove claims that he was dead, saying he was getting better.

According to Falana, the Department of State Services, DSS, told the Shi’ites leader that the Federal Government was ready to let him go after over two years in custody.

The lawyer called on the government to, therefore, release him from incarceration without further delay.He said El-Zakzaky had lost his left eye and that government had ignored specialists’ advice that he be taken abroad to save the right eye.Falana said the Shi’ites leader’s wife had been subjected to excruciating pain as some of the bullets deposited in her body on December 14, 2015 during the military invasion of their home in Zaria had not been removed.

He said: “Last week, it was widely rumoured in the social media that Sheik Ibraheem El-Zakzaky had died in the illegal custody of the State Security Service. Although I was compelled to dismiss the dangerous rumour via a public statement, I requested the Federal Government to release the Shi’ite leader and his wife for urgent medical attention.“Instead of acceding to my request, the State Security Service misinformed Sheik El-Zakzaky and his wife of the readiness of the Federal Government to release them after a media parade to assure the Shia community that the Sheik is alive and well. Hence, they agreed to the media parade, which lasted for one minute and 20 seconds in an undisclosed detention custody at Abuja.“But contrary to the official claim that the Shi’ite leader is hale and hearty, he is currently wearing a neck collar support, which was procured for him when he fell sometime last December.”

We’re not placated — IMNMeanwhile, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, IMN, yesterday, said it was not placated by the appearance of its detained leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky, before select journalists in Abuja on Saturday, adding that anything short of his total freedom in line with the ruling of the federal is unacceptable to them.In a statement in Kaduna, yesterday, the group said the limited access granted to some journalists “falls very short of expectations of his total and unconditional freedom as ordered by the Federal High Court Abuja”.

The statement, signed by Ibrahim Musa, the president of the Media Forum of the Movement, noted that IMN would not be fooled by the antics of government.It read: “Sheikh El-Zakzaky was “allowed” to speak to a select section of the Press on Saturday, January 13, 2018 for the first time since his illegal detention. That followed recent wave of incessant but peaceful street actions calling for his immediate and unconditional release all over the country as well as globally following reports of his deteriorating health condition in detention.

“This limited view and voice of Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, speaking live in the short video clip in the over two years of his illegal detention may seem very pleasant but falls very short of expectations of his total and unconditional freedom as ordered by the Federal High Court Abuja. We are not unmindful of the fact that Sheikh Zakzaky has not committed any crime, and his detention under whatever guise and pretence has been ruled by a competent court in our land as unconstitutional and a breach of his fundamental rights.”

“There is therefore no justification whatsoever to be satisfied by a few seconds of video clip of an illegally incarcerated Sheikh. It is absolutely a matter of complete freedom that he deserves or nothing at all for the Sheikh in our view. Only a truly free Zakzaky will suffice as ordered by the Federal High Court. It is only a free Zakzaky that can determine, without waiting for permission from anyone or security agents, where and when to seek medical attention and from whom. Similarly, were the Sheikh truly free, he wouldn’t have to be denied access to his personal doctors or have to need special permission to be granted by security agents to see his personal physicians. A truly free Zakzaky will not have to be “granted permission” by anyone to give a press interview, let alone limit it to a select section of the press.

A truly free Zakzaky would not be limited in what questions to address too.“Credible and dependable sources have it that the arranged interview by the security men was made to appear as impromptu, but our Leader, Sheikh Zakzaky granted a much longer interview and addressed far more issues than was released. What did he say about his continuing detention? What did he say about his similarly incarcerated wife and her own ill health? What did he say about the legal tussle or even how the whole saga began in the first place? What did he say about the destruction of his properties, the desecration of his mother’s and children’s graves? What did he have to say about the killing of his elder sister, a nephew, three sons and over a thousand of his disciples? What was his reaction to the mass grave at Mando, which the security did their utmost best to conceal?Why did he opt to challenge his supposed “protective custody” in court when the authorities are telling the world that it was of his own volition? Why did he reject going to Kaduna state constituted Judicial Commission of Inquiry but submitted a memo to Osinbajo Panel of Investigation, only to refuse giving testimony in secret? The questions are nearly endless.

We challenge the security forces to either release to the public the full unedited interview, or allow an open live free interview with no restrictions.“Undoubtedly, the Islamic Movement is not impressed with this, and certainly is not fooled by the antics of the Buhari security agencies. We are not placated by Sheikh Zakzaky’s short and edited video clip.

‘’The local and global Free Zakzaky campaigns will most certainly continue. Our goal is not to see Sheikh Zakzaky in a controlled press clip but our goal is the unconditional freedom of sheikh Zakzaky and his wife as ordered by a competent Nigerian Court. Nothing short of that will suffice” it concluded.

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